Spring 2012 Physics 121 Course Syllabus
Instructors:
Rich Janow: T-423B, janow@njit.edu, (973) 596-3549, http://web.njit.edu/~janow
John Federici: T-474, john.f.federici@njit.edu, (973)-596-8482, http://web.njit.edu/~federici
Camelia Prodan: T-480, camelia.prodan@njit.edu, (973) 596-5456
Slawomir Piatek: T-423F, slawomir.piatek@njit.edu, (973) 596-3551,
http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~piatek
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Office hours for Slawmir Piatek: Tuesday, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites:
Pre-requisites (all with grade of C or better):
Physics 111, 111H, or 105-106 and Math 111, 111H, or Math 132 (Calculus-I)
Co-requisites:
Physics 121A (the lab course) and Math 112 (Calculus-II) or Math 133.
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Physics 121A Laboratory must be taken along with Physics 121 unless you took it and passed it
previously. If you drop Physics 121 you automatically drop the lab (and vice versa, no exceptions), but the
Lab is otherwise a totally separate course from Physics 121 and the lab instructors set the requirements and grades. The
lab manual (Physics 121A Laboratory Manual 4th Edition) can be purchased at the bookstore or at the Physics Dept. office.
The most up-to-date lab schedule is at http://physics.njit.edu/students/lab-handbook.php.
Course Materials for Physics 121:
Primary text (Abbreviation: SJ): “Physics for Scientists and Engineers”, 8th Edition, authors Serway and
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Jewett, Thomson, 2010). We use Chapters 23 to 33, which are offered in a custom paperback edition for NJIT
Physics 121 (ISBN10: 1111524076) available only at the NJIT book store. It is also sold as a standard Volume 2
(available anywhere in paperback or hard cover). Do not buy any of the books entitled “College Physics”.
University of Texas Homework System: “Quest”. Each student needs a UT EID and password and must
also sign up for the course itself using the 5 digit course number provided by his or her instructor. Homework
assignments will be posted on-line in Quest. Students login, download and solve the assigned problems, and submit
answers to the automated grading system. Specific information is available below, or on Janow’s web site, and also
directly from the instructors.
Web Sites: Instructors may post lecture notes, problems, grades, etc. on their web sites. So check there often.
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Examinations:
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There will be three Common Exams and a comprehensive Final Exam. The schedule is:
Common Exam 1: Monday, February 13
Common Exam 2: Monday, March 26
Common Exam 3: Monday, April 23
Comprehensive Final Exam during May 3 – May 9.
4:00 – 5:25 PM
4:00 – 5:25 PM
4:00 – 5:25 PM
2.5 hours long
In-class quizzes covering the preceding or current work may be given during lectures and/or recitations. The grades count
toward your final course grade. There will be no make-up quizzes and normally no make-up common exams.
Final Letter Grades will be based on a composite score for the term’s work that includes the common exam
scores, the final exam, in-class quizzes, and the term’s homework score. Here are the approximate weights to be used for
calculating the composite score:
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48% for all three common exams (16% each)
32% for the final exam
20% for the total of homework plus short in-class quizzes. Homework will be worth about 16%. In-class quizzes
will be worth 4%.
Extra credit may be given for optional exam problems. Negative credit may be given for being late, creating noise or
otherwise interfering with the work of the class.
Rev 1/5/2012
The cutoff percentages for various letter grades will be in the range of: 80% for A, 71% for B+, 64% for B, 56% for C+,
50% for C, and D or F below 50%.
Assignments: Page 3
lists the topics covered, text readings, homework assignments, and practice
assignments for the Spring term; it includes information generic to all Physics 121 sections, possibly tailored to your own
classes’ schedule. Do the homework: it is almost impossible to succeed in physics courses without working a lot of
problems.
Each new work unit begins with a lecture, and includes extra problems to solve (not graded) and a related homework
assignment that is usually due and covered in recitation class during the following week.
 Read the assigned sections of the text before the lecture covering that material.
 Some students also download instructor’s lecture notes if available and bring them to class.
 Submit the Quest homework assignment each week before it is due. Homework due dates will be shown in Quest.
Students who do not submit homework are automatically lowering their average by 16%.
 The practice problems (PP’s) and suggested text problems (STP’s) listed in the assignment schedule are optional.
o “Practice Problem” sets (PP) with and without solutions are posted for you on-line to help you get up to speed
before doing the online homework. The url is:
http://web.njit.edu/~janow/Physics 121 Fall 2011/Phys 121Janow Fall 2011.html.
o Supplementary problems from the text (STP in the list of assignments) are also listed.
Attendance will be taken at all classes and exams.
More than 3 unexcused absences (in total) is excessive. If you
have excusable absences contact your instructor or the Dean of First year Students. If you must withdraw from the
course, do it officially through the Registrar. Do not simply stop attending and taking exams: that forces the instructor to
assign a course grade of "F".
Help:
Visit or email your instructor if you are having trouble with the course, including trouble understanding the
material: do not simply hope for a miracle and fall further behind. The Physics Dept. office on the 4th floor of Tiernan has
specific information on tutoring. Physics tutoring is available through the CAPE organization, and possibly elsewhere.
Honor Code Violations or Disruptive Behavior:
NJIT has a zero-tolerance policy for cheating
of any kind and for student behavior that disrupts learning by others. Violations will be reported to the Dean of Students.
The penalties range from a minimum of failure in the course plus disciplinary probation up to expulsion from NJIT. Avoid
situations where your own behavior could be misinterpreted as dishonorable. Students are required to agree to the
NJIT Honor Code on each exam.
Turn off all cellular phones, wireless devices, computers, and messaging devices of all kinds during classes and exams.
Please do not eat, drink, or create noise in class that interferes with the work of other students or instructors.
Specific information for the QUEST homework system:
If you already have a University of Texas (UT) login ID and password continue to use them. Your instructor will announce
the 5 digit course number you need to use when you enroll in Physics 121 in the UT system.
UT EID Registration, Passwords, Problems: https://idmanager.its.utexas.edu/eid_self_help/
Quest Student Login (Univ. of Texas): https://quest.cns.utexas.edu/student
UT Help Desk email request form: http://www.utexas.edu/its/help/forms/mailform.html
Fill out the following for your own future reference, and keep it someplace where you can find it:
 Unique course number announced by instructors: 12123
 Your Login ID on the UT system (generated when you register with UT; case sensitive!): ______________
 Your own password (selected upon registration with UT; confidential!): ______________
 Note that NJIT instructors can not access your UT password.
Rev 1/5/2012
Physics 121 Outline and Assignments, Spring 2011 - Sections 010,012,
014
** PP = Practice Problems (see http://web.njit.edu/~janow then navigate )
STP = Suggested Problems in the 8th Edition of the Textbook (starting on page shown)
Lecture Classes and Topics
Lectures on last day (Wed) of each period
Jan 17 to Jan 23 (Week 01)
Lecture 01: Vectors, Intro to Fields
Lecture 02: Electric Charge & Force
Jan 24 to Jan 30 (Week 02)
Lecture 03: Electric Field
Jan 31 to Feb 06 (Week 03)
Lecture 04: Gauss' Law
Feb 07 to Feb 13 (Week 04)
Lecture 05: Electric Potential
Common Exam 1: February 13
Monday, 04:30 – 5:45 P. M.
Feb 14 to Feb 20 (Week 05)
Lecture 06: Capacitance
Feb 21 to Feb 27 (Week 06)
Lecture 07: Current, Resistance, DC
Circuits, Intro to Kirchoff’s Rules
Feb 28 to Mar 05 (Week 07)
Lecture 08: Multi-loop and RC Circuits
Mar 06 to Mar 19 (Week 08)
Lecture 09: Charges & Currents in
Magnetic Fields
March 11 to March 18 Spring Break
Mar 20 to Mar 26 (Week 09)
Lecture 10: Sources of Magnetic Field.
The Biot-Savart Law, Amperes Law
Common Exam 2: March 26
Monday, 04:30 – 5:45 P. M.
Tuesday, March 2xxxx
Mar 27 to Apr 02 (Week 10)
Lecture 11: Faraday’s Law of Induction
Apr 03 to Apr 09 (Week 11)
Lecture 12: Inductance, RL Circuits
April 06: Good Friday, No NJIT Classes
Apr 10 to Apr 16 (Week 12)
Lecture 13: LC & LCR Circuits,
EM Oscillations, AC Circuits
Apr 17 to Apr 23 (Week 13)
Lecture 14: AC Circuits, Resonance
Common Exam 3: April 23
Monday, 04:30 – 5:45 P. M.
Apr 24 to May 01 (Week 14/15)
Review, Finish HW
May 01, Tues: Follow Friday schedule
May 02: Reading Day
Final Exam Period: May 03 to May 09
Rev 1/5/2012
Text (SJ)
Readings
Instr. Notes
Sec. 23.1 - 3
Sec. 23.4 - 7
Sec. 24.1 – 4
Sec. 25.1 - 6
Sec. 26.1– 7
Sec. 27.1 - 4,
Sec. 27.6,
Sec. 28.1 - 3
Sec. 28.3 - 4
Sec. 29.1 - 5
Assignments & Recitation Topics**
(exact due dates to be announced)
Begin HW 01, HW 02, PP’s 02
STP pg. 682 # 5, 7, 9, 11
REC: HW 01, 02 Begin HW 03, PP’s 03.
STP pg. 684 # 21, 23, 27, 35, 41, 45, 47
REC: HW 03 Begin HW 04, PP’s 04
STP pg. 705 # 1,3, 5, 9,11,15,19,23, 39, 51, 55
REC: HW 04 Begin HW 05, PP’s 05
STP pg. 733 # 1, 5, 15, 21, 27, 51, 55
Covers Lectures 01, 02, 03
Vectors & Fields + Chapter 23
REC: HW 05 Begin HW 06, PP’s 06.
STP pg. 764 # - 1, 5, 7, 19, 27, 30, 37, 47, 53, 69,
REC: HW 06 Begin HW 07, PP’s 7& 8A
STP pg. 788 # 1, 3, 11, 13, 15, 21, 25, 29, 35, 43,
51, 57
STP pg. 818 # 1, 3, 9, 11, 17, 21, 66
REC: HW 07 Begin HW 8, PP’s 8A & 8B.
STP pg. 818 # 23, 25, 27, 33, 35, 39, 41, 51
Labs
MAT
LAB
MAT
LAB
201
202
203
205
215
REC: HW 08 Begin HW 09, PP’s 09
STP pg. 852 # 1, 3, 5, 7, 15, 17, 19, 25, 27, 31,
33, 35, 45, 49, 57, 61
216
REC: HW 09 Begin HW 10, PP’s 10
STP pg. 884 # 5, 7, 13, 21, 23, 29, 35, 39, 41, 43
217
No Class
Sec. 30.1- 5
Covers Lectures 04, 05, 06, 07
Chapters 24 – 27, & 28 (Sec. 1 – 3)
Sec. 31.1 - 5
Sec. 32.1 - 4
Sec. 32.5 - 6
Sec. 33.1 - 4
Sec. 33.5 - 8
Last Day to Withdraw
REC: HW 10 Begin HW 11, PP’s 11,
STP pg. 916 # 5, 7, 9 , 11, 23, 35, 37, 39, 43
REC: HW 11 Begin HW 12, PP’s 12.
STP pg.945 #1,3, 5, 9,13, 15, 17,19, 23, 29,35,37
Friday classes lag this schedule by 1 week
REC: HW12 Begin HW 13, PP’s 13.
STP pg.945 # 43, 45, 49, 51, 53
STP pg.976 # 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 19, 21
REC: HW13 Begin HW 14
STP pg.976 #:25, 27,29,37,39,43,49,51, 59, 67
212
210
223
218
Covers Lectures 08, 09, 10
Chapters 28 – 30
221
No classes
REC: HW14
Optional Review Sessions
Comprehensive exam: Chapters 23 - 33
NJIT Academic Calendar
Monday, January 16
Tuesday, January 17
Monday, January 23
Spring 2012
M. L. King Holiday
First Day of Classes
Last Day to Add a Course
Last day for 100% refund
Sunday, March 11 to Sunday March 18 Spring Recess
Tuesday, March 20
Last Day to Withdraw from course(s)
Friday, April 6
Good Friday – No classes
Tuesday, May 1
Classes Follow a Friday Schedule
Last Day of Classes
Wednesday, May 2
Reading Day
Thursday, May 3 – May 9
Final Exam Period
Rev 1/5/2012